Intro Log: November & Event: Nothing to Be Drone About It

[faileas]

Intro Log: November & Event: Nothing to Be Drone About It

I. ARRIVAL Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. A moment later, you feel a tug, and you find yourself stumbling into a dark, musty room. Behind you, a mirror stands ornately decorated with reminders of home wrought in brass and wood: the faces of people you know, and symbols important to you; all things that send a pang through your chest with the desire to return to them. Touching the mirror's surface does nothing but leave the stain of your fingerprints. When you turn to survey the room, you find there are hundreds of other mirrors. None of them are as decorated as yours - they're plain and dusty, speckled with age. Then you realize a second thing: You're not alone. Distantly, the ringing bell of a clocktower can be heard. But no matter its distance, the time is clear to make out: it chimes three times, stark, resonating like a pulse of something in this mirrored hall that you and others have found yourselves in, along with... several items, perhaps even creatures scattered across the floor around other mirrors? For those familiar with magic, they might feel the power of the witching hour upon them, though it will feel different from what they're used to - in fact, everything does. You're certainly not the only ones here, however. On the first floor, with the doors wide open behind them in the foyer, is a small group headed by two individuals. As people begin to arrive, to come from the higher floor, they're waiting - and they're waiting for you, and your questions. Explore the rest of the mirrored halls you've now found yourselves in, or proceed to the foyer? Leaving the Looking-Glass House makes it obvious that the clock striking three was for 3 AM - the night sky is faintly cloudy, but the stars are dim in the face of two moons. The Looking-Glass House is rather nondescript two-story cottage made of grey brick, sitting at the edge of The Coven's courtyard; stones which glow as you step on them mark the path to and from the two buildings. While fairly small and plain on the outside, the inside has been enchanted to be the size of a large library, with hundreds upon hundreds of mirrors hanging, standing, and resting inside its walls. Some are broken, some are cracked, and some seem completely uninjured - but all of them are just as plain as the cottage itself, showing age in the silver beneath their glass and in the greening of their metals... Well, all except a character's personal mirror; to characters, one mirror - the one they came through - will be decorated lavishly with metal-and-wood-wrought reminders of home, and the surface will be as clear as a brand-new mirror.

II. THE WELCOME PARTY Whether you've decided to find a way out of the building you've arrived in, or decided to explore the rest of the Looking-Glass House - and perhaps finding a few familiar faces among the crowd - you feel a pull towards the foyer of the first floor. It's like a firm suggestion, as if to take you by the hand and draw you to where it begins, and the source of it becomes quite apparent upon finding one's way to the front room: a tall, comfortably-dressed older woman and her even taller wolfish companion, along with those which feel to resemble yourselves in a world-traversing sense: Mirrorbound, they're called. "Just a few of you this month, hm? Don't mind the junk across the floor where you came out, someone is sorting that!" The woman sets her hands on her hips, with her Bonded casting a glance at those looking confused - newly arrived - and those who may have followed them in to talk to the newest addition of their mirrorbound bunch. "About time for introductions though- this here's Mhairi Ainsley, ambassador to the Parliament and my Bonded, and I'm Nerissa Bell, Head Witch of the Coven - but you can just call me Miss Nessie, you can," she adds, winking. "The lot of you must be as tired and confused as the last batch - hullo to those who've joined us, too! - so just a moment, dearests, I'll set all you right up—" With nothing more than a wave of her hand, rows of seats are summoned; despite their wooden nature, they're all sturdy and comfortable, filling the foyer and spreading out a ways into the lawn behind them, making room for all of the new arrivals as well as the previous batch. After all, they'll find this just as interesting. The Witches and Monsters that accompanied Nessie and Mhairi move to make room, and some disperse into the building itself to see if there's anyone who needs tending to. Mhairi steps forward as the chairs materialize. "Please, those who are able, join us for a moment. There are many questions that I'm sure you have - we will do our utmost best to answer them, and you may take any that we can't as a promise to find some sort of solution or answer." NOTE: If you wish to interact with Nessie and Mhairi, please comment here for a handwaved, summarized answer to your character's burning questions. For those that'd like a more player-based interaction, Aefenglom has its own Welcome Wagon! These are players who've volunteered for the role, and those that didn't sign up may assist as well if they'd feel their character would -- have fun, and make friends. Additionally, those with notable injuries or sickness will be attended to ASAP by Coven-based witches, and should anyone be curious about what they are - if they have magic potential, or if they swing a different way - then this can be done during this and the general hour or so the new arrivals are within the Coven's grounds. There are ongoing classes on magic, monsters, and Bonding as well, though they take place more during the day than at night - feel free to have your characters attend them at any time!

III. THE HAVEN After an hour or two of general chaos, questions that the natives attempt to help with, and injuries tended to for those who arrive in poor condition, it's time to make a trek to where you'll be staying while Nessie and Mhairi continue to search for a solution to the situation. As you're leaving with a few Bonded for guides, peculiar-looking devices - watches, the native Witches explain, compliments of Parliament - are passed around to all the new arrivals; they're given a quick rundown on their functions and bid to test them out when they can. They can even do it as they make their way out of the Coven's courtyard and to the Haven. Formerly part of the Aristocratic District, The Haven is just as well-kept and brightly-lit as the district it hails from. The houses err on the tall and ornamental-side, large enough to fit several families (or, according to the upper class, their one family, several dozen servants, and guests), especially closest to the Aristocratic District. They become a little more modest and smaller as one gets away from the realm of high society and nearer to the Residential District proper. Newcomers are shuffled here and invited to find somewhere to live - the Coven is currently handling expenses for the houses themselves in a program implemented by the Parliament, though if your character wishes to have anything extra - like maids, chefs, and so on - they'll have to pay for them themselves with their own earned money. Much of the landscape and fixtures are the same as in the Aristocratic Districts, though it lacks formal emergency services due to its roots as part of a district that already did. Much of the housing already has furnishing due to the speed at which homeowners were relocated; they were given enough time to collect their valuables, but standard furniture such as kitchenware, couches, beds, etc. were left behind for those moving in. Other houses appear the same, but the dust on the floors suggest these houses were left before the new arrivals even showed up - a reminder that the Cwyld can strike just about anyone, regardless of standing. Another portion of this district has been opened up to the new arrivals: the barracks, the row of buildings pressed against the very edge of the Bright Wall. As the city's military force no longer has the same presence it previously did, the barracks have gone into disuse, and a cleanup effort has been in place since before the new arrivals came through the Looking-Glass House. For those who desire something a little less opulent, the barracks might just be the answer. The barracks can also be used for business, for a welcome center, a communal space, for anything that the residents of the Haven see fit to use it for - so long as the legality isn't questionable, on the surface. To help with filling up the larger houses - and even some of the smaller ones, and the shared rooms in the barracks - the Witches put together a little roommate finding service, on a smaller scale from the grand opening of the Haven. For those who aren't entirely sure who they want to shack up with, they have a small survey for them to fill out and post on the board they've magicked up in the center of The Haven. The board also very helpfully reads aloud each form for everyone to hear in a cheerful, monotone voice. It isn't able to be shut up, nor is it easy to ignore, being imbued with a kind of amplification magic. It reads simply the information you've offered up yourself, or that someone might have written up for you, should that be their idea of fun.

IV. Nothing to Be Drone About It While a handful of mirrors in the Looking Glass House at 3 am on the 15th spat out people - new Mirrorbound or perhaps returned Mirrorbound - many other mirrors poured forth items or small creatures, all on their own. The night cleaner resigns himself to a long night as he has to deal with mess and confused folk, but he isn't terribly surprised. It was around this time last year that something similar happened with the mirrors. They may not understand it, but it looks like it may be a pattern, relics of the Mirrorbound's lives reaching out to them from home as gift or curse. The night cleaner fetches Miss Nessie to handle the arrival of a handful of new Mirrorbound, and then returns to start tidying up everything else. Luckily, she assigns him some help in the form of a young Witch named Emmelie, eager to prove herself. Not wanting to crowd the Looking Glass House, in the ensuing hours, she turns to an invention of hers to sort out the stuff littering the room with the mirrors. The goal, of course, is to get each item back to its rightful owner, and she firmly believes in better living through magic innovation! Unfortunately, it becomes clear fairly soon that Emmelie's brass flying saucers, which she had hoped would effortlessly deliver each item based on magical signature matching, could use a little... fine-tuning. The big saucers complete with six segmented mechanical 'arms' to hold the cargo in place are persistent as they zip around the city, often trying to take the shortest path to their programmed destination - whether it means they bump endlessly into barriers such as walls, get stuck on rooftops or in the River Temese, or knock over people, natives and Mirrorbound alike, who happen to be in their flight path. Some of them end up at the wrong Mirrorbound, and bump incessantly into them until they take the offered item, uncaring if they're who it belongs to or not. Of course, some deliveries go smoothly, exactly as they are intended to, but... they're in the minority. By the early afternoon, Emmelie is sending out a voice message that can be heard by Mirrorbound anywhere in the city, her young voice panicked as she explains what happened with her inventions and your mementos of home, adding at the end: "Ahh, it's such a mess! Look, you've got to help me, and please don't tell Miss Nessie, she'll never trust me with anything important ever again! I'll owe all of you so much if you'll just help find and return everything to where it needs to go!"

Welcome to November's combo Intro Log and event! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs. The network system is free to use once characters have their watches as well; information on that can be found at the bottom of the Setting page, while any extra questions about it can be found in the FAQ index. Quests can be picked up as well right over here at November's Quest Pickup thread. Finally, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

A

[al_bhed]

[Hello Ferran, you have a text message!]

HI ARE YOU OKAY I FELT WEIRD AND KIND OF SAD I THINK IT'S THE BOND WHERE ARE YOU???

[Bonds sure are a thing, Rikku is learning!

After a moment, she adds:]

Also I got a weird cat costume I can show you if that'll make you feel better somehow.

Re: A

[noblegarnet]

[It'll take a good fifteen minutes or so before Ferran pulls himself together enough to even look at his comm, let alone answer it. It helps that his worst nightmare hasn't come true in those fifteen minutes, so even if there's still a lingering sadness, it's not so much that he can't keep it to himself. Dumb soul emotion sharing magic.]

Yeah. Sorry. I'll be okay. I hope it wasn't too much.

[He knows his feelings can be A Lot, so he can only imagine what they're like out of context.]

Do you have a cat costume back home??

[al_bhed]

Good! I was about to send out a search party for you!!

[The fifteen-minute silence had her Worried. It's a relief that he's responding, even if he's clearly being evasive. But then again, if the situation were reversed Rikku is pretty sure she'd do the same. Al Bhed aren't exactly about sharing their experiences lightly as a whole, and just because Rikku's more forthcoming than most doesn't mean she doesn't have her limits.

Instead, she decides to focus on improving his mood and letting him open up on his own time.]

No, that's the weird thing! Maybe it's from my future?

It's really dumb looking. You suuuuuuure you don't want to see it???

[noblegarnet]

I might have been a little more prepared if I knew this was a possibility in the first place. I'll try to check faster next time. [More like he would have let his imagination run wild—but that would have been a lower level of ongoing anxiety that he could handle better than the acute stab of shock he'd just dealt with.

... not that he wants there to be a next time, but he really can't guarantee that.

Instead of dwelling on his garbage, he should try to resolve this mess somehow—if just for the sake of his bonded. A distraction is probably a good idea, too.]

I am a little curious. I'm heading back to my house now, but we can meet up?

[al_bhed]

Good! Part of the point of a bond is to look out for each other, you know?

[Some day she'll get this boy to understand that she's looking out for his best interests.]

I'll meet you at your house if that's okay?

[noblegarnet]

Yeah, you're right. [Although a few cynical thoughts try to emerge, Ferran pushes them away before they coalesce into anything solid. He knows that Rikku genuinely cares, and he wants to do the same for her, too.

Inviting her to his place would have felt a little forward especially after Karin put the fear of god in him, but he has no real qualms in letting her come over, aside from the fact that it's hard to be a proper host when your house isn't set up the way you like it yet.]

Yeah, of course. You're always welcome, if that's what you want. I'll leave the door unlocked.

[He's picked one of the second-largest homes in the Haven, because of course he has, but the furnishings left by the previous owners at least keep it from being too empty. He's particularly fond of the courtyard in the center, letting him enjoy the fresh air in an especially private space, but whenever Rikku arrives, he's busy in a bedroom adjacent to the main living area, laying the armored outfit and sword out on the unused bed.

As a result, the first thing that will greet her isn't the house's owner, but a squirrel-like plant creature that's eager to see who's arrived.]

[al_bhed]

[For her part, Rikku doesn't really see the big deal about visiting each other's homes. Blame a difference in culture. Or the lack of her father losing his mind over it.

Either way, it makes sense that they can visit as friends and bonded. Once she gets the okay, she puts on a very bulky cat mascot suit (leaving the head off for now) and makes her way to Ferran's place.]

Hey, I'm here!

[OH GOODNESS IT'S A PLANT SQUIRREL. Rikku squeaks with glee and kneels down.]

Hey there little guy! Do you live here too?

[noblegarnet]

[The creature meets Rikku's approach with several cautious sniffs and rapid chittering, scooting closer little by little, at least until Ferran steps out of the room to greet her. He seems drained, and at first, his voice clearly shows it.]

Hey, Rikku—

[He stops short at the sight of the black costume. Sure, he was expecting her to come with the cat outfit, but not in it. And he was thinking more like, kind of a fluffy body suit, and not a giant terrifying mascot body.]

—the hell?

[al_bhed]

[Upon hearing Ferran's voice, Rikku stands up from her crouch and gives him a smile and a wave, followed by a small laugh at his reaction.]

I told you! It's worse with the head, hold on.

[And on the cat head goes. As a result, her voice is muffled.]

I have never seen this outfit before in my life. It looks like one of Lulu's dolls came to life and ate me.

[noblegarnet]

[What kind of dolls does this friend of hers have... but honestly, he has a lot of questions.]

It looks like the least appealing sports mascot I've ever seen...

[Not saying there couldn't be worse, but still. He frowns mildly, folding his arms.]

Do you really think it's yours?

[al_bhed]

[The dolls are for casting magic, obviously!

Thanks to the popularity of blitzball back in Spira, Rikku is actually familiar with sports mascots. They're not common, but occasionally teams will have someone dress up to cheer the players on. As such, Ferran's observation elicits a laugh from Rikku as she pulls the head off.]

I would make the team lose for sure.

[And she lets the head drop to the floor. Sorry for scaring you, leafy squirrel.]

I don't know. I mean, it was delivered to me as if it was. But maybe someone made a mistake?

[noblegarnet]

[You know what, after coming here, he's willing to believe just about anything.

The thump of the cat head does cause the creature to skitter under the nearby chair, but it's not so spooked that it leaves the room entirely. Ferran lets out a slow breath through his nose, wondering. Is it a mistake, really, or could it actually be hers? And what does that mean for his "delivery"? He rubs a hand over his mouth for a moment.]

Maybe... you said you thought it might be from your future?

[al_bhed]

Well, that's what I originally thought until you brought up the possibility of it not being mine. Since it's not from my past or present, you know? And the design is kind of familiar, even if I've never seen it in a mascot like this.

[She toes the mascot head with her foot, causing it to roll.]

Who knows, though. I don't put a lot of stock in how things work in this place, since things are often so weird. I wasn't even going to do anything with it until I realized you needed a pick-me-up.

[noblegarnet]

[Ferran lets out an amused huff, watching the head slowly move across the floor until it catches on an ear.]

Well, thanks. I'm glad you can at least wear yours...

[Even if he were to consider wearing anything of Onyx's, there's no way he could. The man is a head taller than him, for one... He shakes his head to try to get that out of his head, refocusing on the present.]

Maybe you could use it as house decoration. If nothing else, it'll be a good conversation starter.

[al_bhed]

You think Karin and Lightning would let me?

[From the way she laughs, she doesn't think they will.

After a bit, she wonders if Ferran's given her an opening to Talk About What's Bothering Him, so she circles back to what he said prior.]

Is what you received not wearable?

[noblegarnet]

As long as there's space, I can't see why they shouldn't.

[He clearly thinks they should let the girl live her best life, aesthetics be damned. Let her have a Christmas cat or something! Or whatever winter holiday this city might have. But this is why he lives by himself, currently.

Maybe it was a way for him to open the conversation, however hesitant. Rikku does deserve to know what the fuss was about, if she was forced to experience any of the complicated feelings that went along with it... even if he has to ease into it as to not dump everything unnecessary at once.]

Ah, well. They're... clothes, but they wouldn't fit me at all.

[al_bhed]

[Rikku likes the cut of your jib, Ferran.

However, the importance of whether or not she can display a cat costume pales in comparison to that of whatever he's dealing with, so she focuses her attention on the latter.

Since he's tiptoeing into it, she asks follow up questions to get more information. Why can't people just come out and say things?]

Why wouldn't the clothes fit? Don't they belong to you?

[noblegarnet]

[He needs some time to emotionally prepare, Rikku!!

Folding his arms, he takes a moment before speaking. The fact that he's troubled by it obviously isn't in question, given what she felt earlier, so at least that much is out in the open.]

They're my... [How does he even describe the relationship? His chest aches just thinking of calling the man his guardian, so he'd rather not.] They belong to somebody I know. He's a lot taller than me, for one.

[He focuses on the little details that mean nothing just by reflex, an almost automatic reaction to talking about his situation back home. But he tries to curb the instinct and focus, despite all the words coming to mind feeling either completely dismissive or overly dramatic.]

He... did a lot to me. I trusted him, and I shouldn't have.

[al_bhed]

[Oh. No wonder he was so upset.

It takes Rikku some time to figure out what to say. In the meantime, she moves in and pulls him in for a hug. Physical reassurance always makes her feel better, so she generally assumes that the same is true for everyone else.]

That's awful. I'm so sorry, Ferran.

[She doesn't pry further. This is as much as she needs to know for now.

After a few more moments of gentle, comforting hugging Rikku pulls back abruptly and balls her fists in indignant frustration.]

And it's really rude of this place to do that to you! We're supposed to be here to help! They should be nicer than this.

[noblegarnet]

[In this case, at least, Rikku is right—Ferran might not initiate it a lot himself, but there are few times he doesn't appreciate a hug. ... mostly.

He returns it with little hesitation, letting out a shaky breath as he rests his head against hers. He may not realize that their bond makes the contact that much more comforting, but he feels the effects all the same.]

Yeah. Thanks...

[At least he's gotten past his initial distress enough that his voice is relatively even. When she pulls back, though, he doesn't react much to her annoyed remark. Perhaps it's because he's trying so hard to suppress the negative that nothing else can come out for the moment.]

Who knows what the thing that brought us here thinks, if it even does... [Maybe they're here to "help," but Ferran doesn't feel like he'll accomplish much to that end unless his presence alone does something.] It gave us both something we can't really use for much.

[al_bhed]

Yeah, but mine is just stupid. Yours upset you, and that's terrible! If we ever find out who brought us here, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind.

[Hello, Rikku would like to speak with Aefenglom's Mirrorbound Manager. She needs to file a complaint on behalf of her bonded, thanks.

Honestly, she's more upset that this happened to him than she would have been if something similar had happened to her. She doesn't take hurting people close to her lightly.]

In the meantime, though... what do you plan to do with the outfit?

[noblegarnet]

[He manages a weak chuckle at her insistence, but the question brings him back to the uncomfortable state of reality.]

I'll... keep it.

[That much, he's managed to decide. He feels like it's his responsibility, for one—and it's not just any outfit, even if it's lost its power here.]

His weapon showed up, too. So... I want to make sure no one can use them. They were magic, back home.

[al_bhed]

Are you sure? That's not going to make it harder for you?

[The question is more out of concern than questioning his judgement. If it upset him that much, in her mind it'd be better to destroy it.

Of course, he probably has his reasons. The fact that they're supposed to be magic is probably among them.]

Well, do what you need to do. And if you need anything just let me know, okay? We're bonded for a reason, right?

[Have a playful punch to the shoulder to show that she means it.]

[noblegarnet]

I'll be alright.

[Now that Ferran is relatively sure the man himself isn't here, it's a lot easier to deal with his things. Not easy, but easier.]

I can lock it in a closet and never look at it again. [Destroying it all... for whatever reason, it feels wrong. But maybe having Onyx's things here can remind him not to make the same mistakes he once did. Regardless, he smiles a little, even if it's tired.] I'm more worried about where you're going to put this.

[He takes her arm and holds it up to indicate the costume she's still wearing—it's going to take up a lot of space, wherever it goes.]

[al_bhed]

I think that's a good idea.

[That way he doesn't have to be staring this as-of-yet-unknown-to-her person's memory in the face all the time.

When he holds up her arm, Rikku can't help but laugh a little. She's glad that he seems to be relaxing. And, quite frankly, she enjoys his company.]

I'm still debating if it's worth trying to convince my housemates to let me decorate with it.